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Every day each child intakes, processes and outputs all their sensory experiences. These include every sight, sound, taste, smell, tactile sensation, head and body movement their bodies encounter throughout the day. Sometimes a child doesn't process all their sensory experiences in a coordinated and integrated behavior. There are rarely any simple solutions.
The following areas are some of the most common challenges children with sensory issues display. Click through each challenge to view resource articles and home prescriptions we recommend to our families to assist with teaching the child how to become the boss of their own body.
Life Goals Exercise
Recommended for parents who desire their kids to: Grow to be independent adults Meet their full potential To help them navigate their lives Figure out why they were put on this Earth I think that when your son or daughter is 8-9 years old, they can begin to engage in this life-long process of goal creation. It played out in the Murray Household as a father/son Christmas time “happening” beginning in 2009 (sons’ were 13, 11 and 9 years old). I owe the credit to Brian Tracy’s p
2 min read
The Murray Family's Top 75 Parenting Tips
Get the “What to Expect” book series (we may be dating ourselves with this one) Choose a pediatrician that you trust (and that will listen to your concerns) Purchase a jog stroller and a kid carrier front pack and backpack (take your kids everywhere) Give babies lots of tummy time (it’s more fun if you’re on the floor with them) Connect with other parents who share your values (trade off child care) Read to them every day (start right now) Let kids feed themselves as soon as
4 min read
Role of Swings in the Home
How can daily access of swings help the child with SPD or ASD? My philosophy/charge is to use as many resources to make the greatest amount of change in the nervous system of every child. The swing/swings in the home is an ideal place to change the child’s nervous system. There are swings for calming (compression/lycra), there are swings for excitation (trapeze bar/donut swing, etc…) and once they are set up it is super convenient to just go to the basement, family room, gara
2 min read
Bedtime Strategies
In this video Mr. John introduces the analogy of your child's nervous system as a car, and then provides three easy strategies for improving transitions getting the car into the garage and winding it down at night. Mr. John's top strategies for settling your child into bed at night: Set a bedtime routine i.e., bath, books, prayers, bed-time story, etc. and stick to it at the same time every night. Turn off screens at least one hour before bed. It is never a good idea to have
2 min read
When Your Child Splits Time Between Two Households
Matt is one of our involved parents always looking to find better solutions for his child. The following is what we refer to as Matt's Strategy List for making the transition between his home and the other parent's home happen as smoothly as possible. Duplicate a few favorite toys when possible so that those toys are at each place. Divide up other toys. If one parent will stay at the current house, keep the bedroom as consistent as possible. Have only a small bag to transfer
1 min read
Short Sensory Bag
The sensory bag exercises assist with touch desensitization, discrimination and body awareness. Ideal for the childe whose body is not able to process touch input without overreacting or being overstimulated. By completing this activity once a day for 30 days, this reaction will diminish. The child's nervous system will learn how to react to new touch input without causing dysregulation by more exposure. This activity targets your child’s: Sense of touch and body awareness Cr
1 min read
Why Chewing Gum HELPS!
Gum is a wonderful proprioceptive tool - I like to refer to it as the trampoline for the mouth. I encourage parents and teachers to have their children chew gum while doing homework/written work and to use gum as a tool to help with transitions especially when leaving the house. Over the years, we have found chewing gum helps: Meet oral sensory needs (i.e. licking objects, fingers/hair in the mouth) Flow of written output Ease in transitions Speed up dressing time in the morn
2 min read
The Mini-Trampoline Victory
I recently had a huge "aha moment" with one of my favorite and most recommended therapy tools, the mini-trampoline. I have been using this in the past for high quality, intense, and easily accessible proprioceptive input. I have used it over the years to help kids potty train, cease chewing on their shirts, slow down crashing into everything, improve their ability to sit for meals, help with transitions, improve visual functions and lately improve their ability to sleep at
1 min read
10 Reasons for Restricting Devices for Children Under the Age of 12
Research has proven that handheld devices such as smart phones and tablets can have severe negative impacts on the well-being of children. The following article on the Huffington Post details ten reasons why technology should be limited in children, and offers technology use guidelines for children.
1 min read
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